Taiwan- and China mainland-based ODM handset makers are set to compete head-on for a greater share of mobile TV phone orders globally amid the emerging market for digital video broadcasting services.

China-based ZTE Communications announced recently that it has signed an agreement with BT Movio (a subsidiary of BT) and Virgin Mobile under which ZTE will supply the UK-based service companies with 3G/IP-DAB (digital audio broadcasting) dual mode handsets.

ZTE's announcement puts it in competition with Taiwan-based High Tech Computer (HTC), which currently is manufacturing the Lobster 700 TV, an IP-DAB enabled mobile TV phone, for Virgin Mobile.

China-based TechFaith Wireless plans to showcase its first T-DMB (terrestrial-digital mobile broadcasting) enabled phone at the forthcoming 2006 China International DAB/DMB Forum and Expo, which will be held in Beijing from October 25-27, according to the company.

TechFaith is expected to make inroads in the domestic and overseas mobile TV phone market since its T-DMB phone, which will be built using mobile digital TV (MDTV) receiver solutions from Israel-based Siano Mobile Silicon, can support T-DMB, IP-DAB and DVB-H (digital video broadcasting-handheld) standards.

However, two Taiwan-based ODM handset makers, Compal Communications and Inventec Appliances, are also developing mobile TV handsets, using MDTV chip solutions from Siano, with Inventec expected to begin volume production of its first mobile TV phone by the end of this year.

Additionally, Taiwan-based Gigabyte Communications will also be a strong competitor in the global mobile TV market following the introduction of its DVB-H enabled device, the GSmart i200, at the 3GSM Congress Asia 2006 in Singapore last week. The company plans to begin volume production of the GSmart i200 in the first quarter of 2007, according to the company.

Source:佚名